MORE than 50,000 young people across the north-east have benefited from more than £1.3million confiscated from criminals.

Dozens of groups in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have used money seized from the likes of drug dealers, benefit cheats and embezzlers to improve the lives of others through the CashBack for Communities scheme.

The Scottish Government project uses cash recovered by prosecutors through the Proceeds of Crime Act and feeds it back into initiatives aiming to reduce the risks of young people turning to a life of crime.

Since it was set up in 2007, more than £50million of dirty money has benefited more than 600,000 young people in Scotland.

New figures obtained by Aberdeen Now show that more than 54,000 youngsters in the north-east have so far reaped rewards from clubs and groups set up under the scheme.

In Aberdeen, 18,441 people have benefited from £751,803 and, in Aberdeenshire, 36,029 people were given access to projects funded by £570,904 recovered from cons.

At St Machar Academy in Aberdeen, 11 pupils are being given the opportunity to take part in the Scottish Football Association’s School of Football.

Fourth-year pupil Fiona Rennie is one of the project’s biggest success stories and is best placed to achieve her ambition of making it as a professional female footballer.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The School of Football has given her the opportunity to develop her sporting skills but, more importantly, the personal qualities to enable her to take part in opportunities and develop into a much more confident and high-achieving individual.

“She has been sports champion during each of the last two years and is a member of the SFA regional squad.

“She also has a long-standing involvement with a local community project as a role model to other pupils who may not have had the same opportunities as her. Fiona is always a team player and is always ready to help others.”

Fiona, 15, of Northfield, said the funding has given her opportunities she would never have had before.

She added: “It’s great because I’ve recently been abroad for the first time to Valencia in Spain for training. The funding means you can travel around a lot more. I’ve been playing football since primary four so it’s really important to me and a big part of my life.”

Droves of youngsters in one of the city’s most deprived areas have been kept off the streets by taking part in boxing and fitness training.

Byron Amateur Boxing Club at Northfield Community Centre received £16,000 to spend on equipment and hall hire last year.

And coach Kevin Kerr said the money had already improved the lives of dozens of youngsters.The 32-year-old said: “The area we are in is one of the worst in the city for deprivation. It’s so good that this scheme has put something back into our community.

“There were kids coming in droves at one stage, around 70 a week. The classes teach them a bit of discipline in a controlled environment. The only other option they have got is hanging around street corners.

“We work closely with the community wardens in the area and have a good relationship with them – they divert the kids from the street and into the club.

“It’s great to see this type of money being ploughed back into areas that really need it.”

Also benefiting from the handout is Rock Challenge, a performing arts initiative that gives young people between 11 and 19 the opportunity to be part of professionally produced stage shows in Aberdeenshire.

The project, which works in partnership with Police Scotland and costs up to £35,000-a-year to run, has been awarded funding every year since the scheme was introduced.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Cashback for Communities funding has played a pivotal role in ensuring the ongoing success of the event.

“The event promotes the positive image of young people in our community and highlights how much they can achieve when supported and everyone works together.”

Meanwhile, the Shell Twighlight Basketball project offers training to youngsters in Torry and Peterhead and the scheme’s partnership with the Scottish Rugby Union has benefited thousands of young people.

In the last year, around 2500 Aberdeen primary and secondary pupils received rugby training and sessions were given to around 6000 pupils in Aberdeenshire.

Aberdeen Wanderers Rugby Football Club was handed £25,000 to improve pitch drainage at their club to cope with a growing number of young players. And Deeside Rugby Football Club was awarded £10,000 from the fund to add floodlights to the club pitch for winter training.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said the scheme had so far generated more than 11,000 volunteers across the country.

She said: “CashBack for Communities is a unique Scottish initiative that takes money recovered through proceeds of crime legislation and invests that in community activities and facilities for young people at risk of turning to crime as a way of life.

“CashBack delivers a wide range of projects through Scotland’s leading sporting, arts, business, community and youth associations.”